This invention relates to universal joints and especially to ball and socket joint assemblies of generally resilient construction suitable for use in automotive suspensions, steering linkages, and like applications in which considerable vibratory or impulsive loading must be tolerated. The invention is also specifically directed to a method of fabricating such ball and socket joint assemblies.
A variety of joint constructions for the above stated applications have been suggested, among them being those described and claimed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,328,330 to Edington, 2,970,853 to Baker, and 3,495,858 to Kindel. These prior art devices are more or less akin in that the ball end of a ball stud is provided with a bushing or bushings of rubber or like material to be resiliently supported in a housing or socket member. The rubber bushing or bushings are intended to absorb vibrations or impacts that may be applied to the joints in service.
A drawback common to the above conventional rubber bushed joints is that the ball stud and socket member are susceptible to too much axial displacement relative to each other under tensile load because of the easy elastic deformation of the bushing or bushings. The relative displacements of the ball stud and socket member under compressive and lateral loads are also objectionably great. These weaknesses of the known devices have earned them little commercial acceptance except in very much limited fields of applications.